July weather 08.11.2010

It’s more than impressive, says Morenci climate observer George Isobar. It’s most unusual.

“It’s certainly not unheard of,” Isobar said. “We had 11 in 2005. We 18 of them in 2002. There were 15 in 1999. But usually five or six is a pretty hot July.”

Despite the large number of 90°-plus days, the average temperature for the month was only 3.7° above normal.

“A story in the Toledo Blade said the past July didn’t even make the top 10,” Isobar said. “There were a lot of days in the 90s, but overall it wasn’t so extreme.”

The first three days of the month were all below normal, with the monthly low 47° recorded July 2, and many other days were right at normal or just a little above.

A high of 96° was recorded July 7 and again July 23.

“Our average for the month of 76.7° was actually rather comfortable compared to other locations that aren’t in the hot south,” Isobar said. “Washington, D.C., tied its record average at 83.1° and Baltimore tied the record of 81.5°.”

The high temperature of 96° was bearable, also, when you compare it with so many locations that had temperatures well over 100.

“I read in a weather blog that 16 nations set extreme highest temperature in history records this year—the most ever,” noted Isobar. “It was hot, but it sure could have been worse.”

The high in Russia was 111°, but that was nothing compared to Pakistan’s 128°.

Locally, rainfall was a little over average at 4 inches even, about half an inch above normal.

“It didn’t rain very often, but when it came it was substantial,” Isobar said. “There were three storms that accounted for most of the total.”

Once again the severe weather passed to the north and the south.

“I was going to say we were lucky, but I’m almost beginning to think there’s a geographic feature that’s splitting the weather formations,” Isobar said. “There’s always more to the north and to the south.”

But who’s complaining, other than weather-watchers?

August

Isobar says there have been a few double-digit months of 90-degree days in Augusts past, but generally it’s a little cooler than July.

“There are always exceptions, like a dozen in 1987 when there was a high of 100° and 15 in 1988, but the monthly average is a few degrees lower than July.”

Last month the majority of the early-morning high temperatures were in the upper 60s and low 70s, but Isobar said that won’t be the case through August. Lower 60s and upper 50s are the norm.